Huang Kai Hotel

A warm, kind receptionist, who was also the landlady and owner, made the stay especially nice. The room was basic but cozy and clean, with air conditioning, cable TV, a water heater, free drinking water, towels, and toiletries. Taichung station is a fairly long walk away. If you take the THSR, there’s a free shuttle from Taichung hsr to Taichung Park, less than five minutes on foot from the hotel. From the Taichung bus stop, walk toward the elementary school and continue straight; the hotel is on the left.

It’s pretty cheap and there’s an elevator, but the room is really old and needs renovation, or at least some maintenance.

The staff were friendly and helpful. Check-in is on the sixth floor, where you ring the bell, and you can leave your luggage if you arrive early. They’ll give you an approximate check-in time, and staff are still around at 5-6 pm. There’s no laundry service, but they can point you to nearby self-service laundromats. The location is convenient, with two main entrances and a PX Mart downstairs. From Chenggong Road, you have to take stairs to the elevator; the Sanmin Road entrance leads straight in from ground level, and signs show the way. My room on the eighth floor seemed clean, though the furniture was old. It has separate inner and outer doors for extra security, with a speaker lock inside and a smart lock outside. Slide the smart lock right to enter the code. The window-type air conditioner is old-fashioned, and there are no outlets by the bed, so I used the extension cord on the table. Ambulance sirens sometimes sound at night; closing the bathroom window helps. Soundproofing is poor, so keep the volume down. Bring your own slippers. 👍

They seemed to have tried hard to keep the room clean and maintained, but it had a strange smell, felt old, and offered poor soundproofing. For this price, there should have been better options.